By elevating debutant Member of the Legislative Assembly Bhajan Lal Sharma as the Chief Minister of Rajasthan, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has sought to reassure the Brahmin community, its strongest support base across regions. Having cut his teeth in the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, at the grassroots, Mr. Sharma has risen overnight to the top seat, which is also a signal to the cadre of the party that anything is achievable in the BJP. The new power structure also means the sidelining of the old guard, including Vasundhara Raje, the first woman Chief Minister of the State who held the post for two terms. What is in store for her remains unclear. Mr. Sharma is the second Brahmin Chief Minister of the BJP in Rajasthan; the party has also appointed Deputy Chief Ministers from the community in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. The BJP considered it wise to comfort its core upper caste base to balance its continuing pivot to Other Backward Classes (OBC) under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Diya Kumari, a Rajput and Prem Chand Bairwa, who hails from a Dalit community, are the Deputy Chief Ministers, consolidating its rainbow caste coalition in Rajasthan. There are 29 berths in the Council of Ministers to be filled. Gujjars and Jats among the OBC community and tribals of Rajasthan would expect representation. Mr. Sharma has to keep the party flock together; that he was handpicked by Mr. Modi gives him the strength to do so. The BJP campaign was centred around what was labelled ‘Modi’s Guarantees’.
The BJP has promised a lot to voters and Mr. Sharma now has the responsibility to fulfil them. A special investigation team to probe paper leaks during the previous Congress regime, establishment of women police stations, appointment of 2.5 lakh government employees, and a subsidy of ₹450 per LPG cylinder for Ujjwala scheme beneficiaries were among the campaign promises of the BJP. The party has also promised a ₹2 lakh savings bond for each girl child. Mr. Sharma has to deal with a complicated fiscal environment, avoid a conflict with the party old guard, and balance the social equations in the State. The new Chief Minster has inspired enthusiasm among party workers and people alike, and the BJP central leadership will likely expect him to be in control well ahead of the Lok Sabha election in April-May. He will also have to safeguard the trust endowed in him by the central leadership. Mr. Sharma, who has no previous experience in government, may have to rely on an efficient set of political and bureaucratic advisers as he grapples with political and governance challenges.
